R.E.M. Break Up

After three decades and 15 albums, iconic alt-rock outfit R.E.M. have decided to disband. The group issued the following statement:

“To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.”

Vocalist Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and now-retired drummer Bill Berry formed R.E.M. in Athens, GA in 1980. Three years later, the band released their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Murmur.’ However, it wasn’t until 1987, when their single “The One I Love” hit airwaves, that the group started to achieve mainstream success.

In the end, the quartet have sold tens of millions of albums, been praised for their lively performances, and widely acknowledged for their social and political activism.

R.E.M.’s last record, ‘Collapse Into Now,’ was released in March 2011 via Warner Bros. Records.